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Norbert Greulich tells the Rendeler local council how seniors can protect themselves from fake calls and the “grandchild trick”. © Anne-Rose Dostalek
Karben (dos). Seniors are often the target of criminal callers who describe a distress and demand money and jewelry. Security consultant Norbert Greulich described how you can protect yourself from this at the local advisory board meeting in Rendel.
The call comes in the morning and gives the old lady a shock: her daughter has caused an accident and has to post bail immediately to avoid being imprisoned. The caller pretends to be a public prosecutor, talks to the elderly woman, and the official title works. What many people can’t imagine happens: the old lady hands over the money she asked for to someone she didn’t know.
The fake calls work in a similar way and are used to specifically influence senior citizens in order to get their money and jewelry. In the simplest way, without breaking in or violence. “We must not stop informing seniors about these shock calls and scams and advising them on how to behave,” says Norbert Greulich, volunteer security advisor for seniors in Karben and chairman of the seniors’ advisory board. He gave a lecture in Rendel on preventing such fraud. The current reason was that several senior citizens in the district were duped in this way. That’s why the local advisory board invited Rendel to the information meeting in cooperation with the disability representative Cornelia Polz and the senior citizens’ advisory board. “Unfortunately, the bad weather prevented our seniors from coming,” Polz regretted, given the low number of visitors.
INFO: Contact if you have any questions
The security advisors for seniors have existed in the Wetterau district since 1993. The initiative cooperates closely with the Wetterau police department, the Central Hesse police headquarters and is supported by the district prevention council and the senior citizens’ advisory board of the Wetterau district. The volunteer women and men explain how seniors can protect themselves from crime. Contact details for the District Prevention Council: Telephone: 0 60 31/83-53 01, email address [email protected].
Police officer on site: Joachim Backes, Tel.: 0 60 39/48 16 40, Email: svo-karben.ppmh@polizei. hessen.de.
City police, telephone: 0 60 39/48 16 50, email: [email protected]. Police station at Groß-Karben train station. DOS
“I would like to tell you how seniors can protect themselves from the grandchild trick,” explained Greulich. His first rule of thumb is: The real police, prosecutors or judges never demand that cash or jewelry be handed over, regardless of the emergency. His second rule of thumb is: stay calm, don’t allow yourself to be pushed or put under pressure. No false politeness: it is permitted to hang up the phone and end the conversation. “The callers are trained to sound out someone, pretend to know something and construct a danger and an alleged emergency situation,” warns Greulich and has a tip: “The criminals rely on the fact that you can’t think clearly in the first few seconds and say the names of your son, Daughter, grandson divulges: Put a piece of paper with a fictitious name on it and if the caller answers this fake name: End the call immediately!” Seniors could be sure whether a call is real by making a direct call from family members and the local police station. This also applies if a bank advisor calls and requests that the bank card be handed over to someone collecting it so that it can be exchanged. Greulich warns seniors who have a cell phone against fake messages along the lines of: Hello dad, mom, I have a new cell phone number. Call me and save the new number.” The scammers want to get phone numbers and names,” explains Greulich. Anyone who accepts this should expect scam calls. This is confirmed by several listeners who have had this experience.
Police officer on site introduces himself
Joachim Backes, Karben’s police officer on site, reminds people to take the security of their home and their own belongings seriously. He introduced himself at the local council meeting. “Anyone who forgets to lock their car and stores valuable items openly and unsecured in garages or sheds makes it easy for gangs of thieves to carry out their raids,” he warned. But Karben is not a crime hotspot in the Wetterau. “Stop by my police station or call if you have any questions about your safety,” Backes said. This also applies to fake calls with grandchild tricks or when uninvited visitors show up at the front door.
**PAA:** What are the most effective methods for empowering seniors to confidently identify and reject deceptive phone calls, especially those employing emotional manipulation tactics like the ”grandchild trick”?
## Interview: Protecting Seniors from Scams
**Guest 1:** Norbert Greulich, Volunteer Senior Security Advisor in Karben
**Guest 2:** Joachim Backes, Karben Local Police Officer
**Moderator:** Welcome, gentlemen. Today we’re discussing a very important subject: protecting senior citizens from scams, specifically the “grandchild trick” and other phone-based deceptions. Let’s start with you, Mr. Greulich.
**Section 1: Understanding the Threat**
**Moderator:**
* Mr. Greulich, you mention in the article that several seniors in the district have recently fallen victim to these scams. Can you tell us more about the specific tactics used by criminals in these cases?
* What makes seniors particularly vulnerable to these types of scams?
**Section 2: Prevention and Protection**
**Moderator:**
* Mr. Greulich, your presentation focused on giving seniors practical tools to protect themselves. Could you elaborate on some of the key strategies you recommend?
* The article advises seniors to “hang up the phone” if they feel pressured. But how can we encourage seniors to do this without feeling rude or causing further distress?
**Section 3: Recognizing and Reporting Fraud**
**Moderator:**
* Mr. Backes, what advice do you have for people who suspect they are being targeted by a scammer? What are the immediate steps they should take?
* Mr. Greulich, you mentioned that verifying the caller’s identity is crucial. How can seniors verify information and ensure they are talking to legitimate individuals?
**Section 4: Building Community Resilience**
**Moderator:**
* This article highlighted the importance of community involvement in protecting seniors from scams. How can neighbors, family members, and local organizations contribute to this effort?
**Moderator:**
* Mr. Backes, what resources are available in Karben to help seniors learn about and avoid scams?
**Closing:**
* Thank you both for sharing your expertise and insights on this important issue. We hope this discussion helps raise awareness and empower seniors to protect themselves from these harmful scams.
This interview format, by focusing on open-ended questions and thematic sections, encourages a deeper discussion and explores various perspectives on protecting seniors from scams.
